


All the King's Horses, and All the King's-Man, Help Nurse Merlin Back to Health Again

by Eggsyobsessed



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Eggsy likes to take care of people, Established Relationship, Fluff, Kingsman coming together to care for Merlin, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, Merlin is stubborn, Sick Character, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 08:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggsyobsessed/pseuds/Eggsyobsessed
Summary: Merlin contracts a cold from Eggsy, that turns into laryngitis, and has a 'fuck you, I'm fine' attitude. How many Kingsman does it take to care for Kingsman's Quartermaster? Apparently all of them.





	All the King's Horses, and All the King's-Man, Help Nurse Merlin Back to Health Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anarchycox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anarchycox/gifts).

“Shit.” Eggsy flopped onto the mattress fully clothed, he didn’t even bother to take his oxfords off at the door; he felt like utter garbage.

The bed bowed when Merlin shifted closer, a firm, gentle, hand lay against the nape of his neck, which caused a shiver to run up Eggsy’s spine and not in the fun way. It had been a long three days, and especially since he had begun to feel the makings of a cold the first twelve hours into his mission.

Merlin’s breath was hot, tickled his ear, as he whispered, “Ye are warm.”

“Feel like death.” His voice muffled into the pillow. “Daisy was sick when I stopped to see mum, two days before my mission, and started to feel like shit rolled over the first night there.” His eyes burned, throat ached and felt like he had just swallowed gravel, all raw and swollen.

“I know I asked you to meet me here, but you can go home,” Eggsy offered. He lifted himself up, propped on his left elbow and felt all the blood rush out of his face when he met an angry set of hazel eyes. “Wot?” Eggsy squeaked.

“If ye think I am going to leave when ye can barely hold yer head up, ye have another thing coming,” his boyfriend said, offended. “I am going to run ye a bath, and then make a cuppa.” It wasn’t a question, it was a damn order.

Eggsy didn’t have enough strength to fight him, and slowly peeled himself off of the bed to strip, a small shudder reverberated through his body; fuck he was cold. He headed into the bathroom, and sank into the hot, steaming tub with no more than a glare from Merlin; no arguments to be had. He allowed Merlin to aid him in washing, dressing and being tucked in.

“You are going to get sick, too,” Eggsy worried, drowsily. He was lightheaded from the nighttime cold medicine Merlin had him drink, it tasted foul and shouldn’t have the description of claiming to taste like honey, lemon tea.

Merlin scoffed lightly, a hand ran through Eggsy’s mostly dry hair, nails scraped his scalp; Eggsy hummed contently. “I don’t get sick,” he stated confidently.

The cheeky response Eggsy had, quickly died on his lips as he fell into a dreamless slumber.

\---

“You shouldn’t be here,” Eggsy tisked. Merlin just flipped him the two finger salute over his shoulder, before he had to abort the insult to grab a tissue and sneeze into it; he loaded it with boogies. “Right.”

He ignored Eggsy’s glare, which was hot against his back, to guide Tristan’s mission. The agent’s chuckle sounded through the speakers, which caused Merlin’s cheeks to grow hot, hotter than the fever he had, but that was beside the point.

“Is there something funny, Tristan?” Merlin asked nasally; his nose stopped up.

“No, Merlin,” came the quick reply, and no other comments made by the agent.

Merlin only went through an entire box of tissue as he saw Tristan to his extraction point. “Car is waiting for ye,” he told him, coughed, and went back to watching his agent get into the Mercedes and drive off.

Eggsy was still there, he slouched in a chair while mindlessly scrolling through his phone; Merlin turned to face him.

“Is there something I can help ye with, Galahad?” he wondered, irritated. Eggsy rolled his eyes. A few moments passed, them just staring at one another. “I am fine,” Merlin insisted.

“You don’t look fine,” Eggsy pointed out, as he got to his feet and slid the rubbish bin, which had been stored under Merlin’s desk, out into view and pointed at how it overflowed with used tissues. “You all of a sudden have an influx of snot?” he wondered, sarcastically.

Merlin shoved his bin back under his desk, with so much force it toppled over; he didn’t care. “Mind yer own rubbish bin, Galahad.” He went back to his work and tuned out Eggsy muttering about ‘stubborn men’ under his breath as he left. He didn’t know why Eggsy made a big deal about this, it was just seasonal allergies, and he’d be right as rain, as soon as the medication he took worked.

\---

“Are you fucking mental?” Eggsy shouted, as Merlin walked - well more like shuffled - around the room to get ready. “You look like death that sat in the sun.” Merlin’s nose was beat red, face paler than his usually white, pasty Scottish ass, with runny eyes which were puffy and just as red as his nose.

“Aren’t ye the loving boyfriend,” Merlin rasped. It sounded like he had swallowed shards of glass. “Move out of my way, Eggsy.” Merlin bumped his shoulder, forced himself past Eggsy and into the bathroom; Eggsy groaned with hands tossed above his head.

He stood in the doorway. “You probably have a fucking fever, and I swear to God if you tell me it’s allergies, I am going to punch you.” The glare Merlin gave him should have iced over his heart, but he stood his ground because his boyfriend looked like he was going to pass out.

“I am fine,” he repeated, for the fifteenth time that morning; Eggsy kept count. “I have work to do, Eggsy.” He tried to brush his teeth, which only resulted in Merlin coughing until he couldn’t breathe. Despite feeling like Merlin brought this on himself, Eggsy guided him to sit on the lid of the toilet and handed him a glass of cold water.

“Thank ye,” Merlin managed, without choking on his own saliva. Eggsy watched Merlin collect himself, and finish his morning routine.

They were only ten minutes late, and that caused for alarm from Arthur.

\---

“It’s getting worse,” Eggsy informed everyone. He had called for an emergency Round Table meeting, and was thankful most of the agents were in London. “He can barely talk, and I’m sure he’s headed into laryngitis, if he doesn’t already have it.” Harry nodded his head to the left of him, his hands folded neatly with forefingers pressed against pursed lips. “I need your help,” he begged, because Eggsy had tried, bartered with the devil, to care for Merlin.

All attempts were shot down, shrugged off to being something as simple as allergies, dust tickled his throat, or swallowed his spit wrong.

“And what do you propose?” It was Roxy who asked. “If he won’t allow you, who’s to say he will let one of us?” She had a point, but Eggsy had an idea.

\---

“Hey, Merlin,” Bors greeted, and walked in without knocking; Merlin was used to it. “Was just on my way back from R&D, those are some brilliant grenades you’ve designed.” The man smiled, it was wide and creased his whole face; Merlin gave a polite nod. He held up a cuppa, “Brought you one.”

Merlin took the offered beverage. The first sip soothed his throat, coated it with the honey in the tea; it was heaven.

“Thank you,” he mouthed.

The smile on Bors’ face brightened. “It is my pleasure,” he promised, and made his retreat.

Merlin went back to his work, and pondered how odd it was that Bors stopped in; the man hated tea. He shrugged it off and finished the entire mug; Merlin called for another.

\---

It was timed, each and every visit was the same...a pattern formed, but he wouldn’t say anything - not like he really could at this point, fucking laryngitis, but as far as Eggsy knew it was a hoarse voice from yelling at the recruits - because as long as he was able to work? He didn’t give a fuck.

Only after the first week, did he start to become agitated, and it was because Harry hadn’t left his office. He hovered, like a goddamn mother hen, but it was worse ,and Merlin was all of a sudden sympathetic to the kids Harry never had. Harry was currently on his second argument as to why oxfords were better than brogues, and it wasn’t much of an argument because it was completely one sided.

For once, in the last week, Merlin wished he could scream at Harry. Which was completely odd, because he usually liked to yell at Harry once a day.

“For fucks sake,” Merlin managed, but it wasn’t any louder than a whisper - if you could even call it that.

Harry stopped his babbling to give Merlin a thoughtful gaze. “What was that?” he asked - fucking bastard.

“Shut up!” Merlin mouthed, and jabbed his pen into Harry’s chest.

He stood, as Harry did, and stepped on the man’s foot before he went to leave. Merlin flopped back into his seat, and took a kip with his head on the desk; the cool metal felt good.

\---

Merlin shoved a paper at Eggsy, who took it with eyebrows pulled together. He pointed to the top, which told him to read, and waited. He could have kicked Eggsy with how smug he looked, and he knew it!

He grabbed the chalk board, that Roxy had so thoughtfully dropped by after her trip to the craft store, and furiously wrote:_ It has been almost two weeks, and I’ve been keeping a chart._ He held it up for Eggsy to see then erased the words, only to write: _Ye come in with soup and tea for lunch, Harry bores me to death with a silly conversation - which makes me want to nap - but replenishes my lozenges, Percival reads me my favorite ingenuity magazine, and Bors brings me tea._

Eggsy snorted a laugh. “You actually wrote ‘ye’?”

_Fuck YE!!_ Is what Merlin wrote next.

“Babe, you need to rest,” Eggsy said softly.

Merlin growled irritably, and scribbled: _Fuck ye, I’m fine. Let me work._ And went back to archiving mission paperwork, because he couldn’t bloody talk to guide a mission. He was on the second paper from Lancelot’s previous assignment, when he heard a quick wisp followed by a sting against his neck. Before he could write the string of curse words, he wanted to shout at Eggsy but couldn’t, his world went black.

\---

_This is bullshit._ Merlin typed on his tablet, and showed for all to see. Once he finally woke up, he was strapped to a gurney in medical, and only a signed document, that he would stay put, is how he got the restraints removed.

“You are sick,” Hanover answered simply, as he hung another bag of fluids. “And if you had taken my instructions, and not worked for the four days I took you out for, we wouldn’t be here.” He smiled, and Jesus it was just as smug and fucking annoying as Harry. “Oh, and because you deliberately ignored my orders, it will likely take another week for you to get your voice back.”

Eggsy gasped, in shock, softly to the right of him.

_I hate ye._ He held it up for Hanover to read.

“My job is not for you to like me,” Hanover reminded him, before he told Merlin he’d be stuck here for a few days, for hydration - apparently he hadn’t drank enough, despite everyone's efforts to bring him tea, while he was sick. “I will see you in a few hours.”

Merlin waited for Hanover to leave, before he glared at Harry, who stood at the end of his bed, eyes squinted and dared the ponce to say anything. He knew it had to be his fault, because Harry was a meddling asshole, and would stop at nothing to annoy Merlin - he wasn’t a babe and didn’t need to be cared for; he did the caring, because they were all a helpless lot.

“I’ll argue with you later about disobeying medical advice.” Harry was no longer Harry, but Arthur. “Eggsy.” He nodded and left.

He plopped his head against the pillows, a heavy sigh left his lips. A comfortable silence fell over them, Eggsy’s hand pressed into his, caused him to look up.

“It wasn’t Harry,” Eggsy told him. Merlin lifted up a bit and typed: _Wasn’t what?_ “Everyone taking care of you,” Eggsy explained.

Merlin watched Eggsy glance mournfully at the tiled floor, not willing to meet his gaze anymore. He tipped Eggsy’s chin up with a finger, forced him to look his way, and held his eyes, and mouthed, “Was it you?” Eggsy nodded his head.

“Eggsy,” he squeaked.

“Nah, babe. You were running yourself into the ground, and I knew you wouldn’t just let us take care of you.” Eggsy took Merlin’s hand and pressed a tender kiss to his palm, before he placed it over his heart. “I love you, and fuck I tried to take care of you. Figured if you didn’t know it, you’d get better and let me.” The confession weighed heavily on Merlin’s heart, he had been inconsiderate of Eggsy’s efforts. “You want to be mad, you can be mad at me.” Eggsy had that determination in his eyes, on his face, it was in the way he set his jaw. It reminded Merlin of the day he told him to whisper in his ear; he softened.

“Thank ye.” He forced the words out, carefully, and tried not to sound like a dying squeaky toy. “I love ye, too.”

Eggsy’s answering smile was worth both nights in medical, and the next week spent in bed while Eggsy waited on him hand and foot. It made his lad happy, and if Eggsy was happy? Merlin was, too.


End file.
